<p>The e-rater always gives me a score of 5...sigh. I'm not sure if it's being generous or not. I need a human to rate my essay.</p>
<p>I kind of ran out of time for my conclusion.</p>
<p>Prompt: We need to remember that wisdom is not just about what we think or know, but more importantly, how we act. Simply being smart is not enough. I define wisdom as the application of intelligence and experience toward the attainment of a common good. In other words, the wisest people are those who look out not just for themselves but also for others. Adapted from Robert J. Sternberg, Teaching for Wisdom in Our Schools"</p>
<p>Assignment: What makes a person wise? Are the wisest people merely smart or are they also concerned with the well-being of others? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.</p>
<p>Since ancient times, all cultures have developed a concept of "wisdom" and considered it to be virtuous and admirable. However, while wisdom generally entails a combination of knowledge, reason, and morality, specific definitions of wisdom across cultures range from secular to deistic, acquired to innate. It is important to flesh out a singular definition from this broad spectrum, for if wisdom is something which we should strive to have, we should know what it is, exactly, we are striving for. </p>
<p>In monotheistic religions such as Judaism, Islam, and Bahàì, wisdom is seen as complete fear and awe of God. It is through the fear of God that one is in a position to make the best moral judgement, unwaveringly faithful to God and his supposedly ultimate righteousness. Christianity makes a distinction between human wisdomfear of Godand Godly wisdomthe confluence of experience and knowledge (both of which God possesses infinitely), used for the benefit of Himself or others. The Christian definition of Godly wisdom is closer to that of human wisdom in other cultures, thus emphasizing the weakness of humans and the power of God so prevalent in monotheism. A good monotheist will not strive for Godly wisdomthis, in a way, is a form of idolatrybut rather for human wisdom, which further puts him- or herself beneath God. </p>
<p>When I hear the word "wise," a quote by Benjamin Franklin comes to mind: "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." In other words, Ben Franklin is saying that getting plenty of sleep and waking up early benefits a man's health, productivity, and wisdom. Why would sleep make someone wiser? We know that a lack of sleep prevents people from making sound decisionsperhaps snapping at their coworkers unnecessarily, or driving too fast on their way to their appointments. We can define wisdom in this backwards way: to be wise is to be able to make good judgements with serenity, clarity, and logical reasoning. If we are to aspire to this definition of wisdom, the first thing we can do is get a good night's sleep! </p>
<p>The word "wisdom" connotes different ideas for different people and cultures, but one thing is for sure: wisdom is something we all want to have, and it helps us make the best decisions for ourselves and for others.</p>